13 May 2010 - Research into safer pregnancy
The Oxford Safer Pregnancy Alliance (OSPREA)
OSPREA is a unique partnership between the public and researchers, both committed to improving the safety and care of pregnant women. It brings together a range of translational clinical research into problems in pregnancy including pre-eclampsia and fetal growth. OSPREA plays a vital role in coordinating current and future research projects to make the recruiting of volunteers easier, more efficient and less stressful. It also works closely with the local “Silver Star Society” Charity, a group of grateful parents who raise funds to help support both clinical and research work in the John Radcliffe Hospital Women’s Centre. A prime example of a research project under OSPREA’s wing is the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Pregnancy Biobank which is carrying out ultrasound scans and collecting blood and urine samples and clinical information from 3,000 women throughout pregnancy. These samples are available to universities, hospitals and companies for their research. Current projects are focused on developing new tests for predicting pre-eclampsia which will avoid unnecessary stays in hospital for some women and direct specialist care to those who most need it, benefiting both the patient and the NHS.
